Stuffing: the real star?

Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times
published November 24, 2002

Let's quit kidding ourselves: Thanksgiving is not about the turkey. Everyone's favorite part of the meal is the stuffing, or dressing -- or whatever you call it, as long as it is bready and savory and rich and full of flavor.

And everyone has a favorite stuffing recipe.

It might not be anything fancy, but it is beloved because it is a regular part of the holiday meal. Or it might be the one opportunity an ambitious cook has to make a statement on Thanksgiving, since the turkey, gravy and cranberry sauce so often stay the same year after year.

There is no end of stuffing ideas; it can be seasoned in different ways and cooked differently too. The only common thread is to be sure you make enough for seconds, maybe thirds.

Every family has a stuffing story to tell, whether they stick with a tried-and-true favorite or go wild with an ever-changing list of ingredients.

Here we provide some ideas and hope that they are cause for thanks around your holiday table this year.

Stuffing, safely

The USDA recommends pan-roasted dressing, rather than stuffing, for uniform cooking and safety of the stuffing ingredients. If you do stuff the turkey, here are a few things to know to keep your Thanksgiving guests healthy and happy:

Never stuff the turkey ahead of time. If the cooked ingredients, such as onion and celery, are allowed to sit around in a cold or room temperature turkey, they use the downtime to breed bacteria. The recipe may be assembled in advance, but wait until the turkey is ready to go into the oven before stuffing.

Test the center of the stuffing with a thermometer before serving a stuffed turkey. The temperature should read 165 degrees.

Sausage and Apple Stuffing

• 6 cups cubed white bread
• 1 cup crumbled uncooked Italian sausage
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1 cup peeled, cored, diced apple
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1 can reduced-sodium chicken broth, as needed
• 1 cup hot water, as needed
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian or flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sage

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Arrange bread cubes in even layer on baking sheets; bake 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly dry, but not browned. Transfer to large mixing bowl; set aside.

In skillet, saute sausage over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes or until cooked through; drain well on paper towels. In same skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat; cook and stir celery and onion until tender.

Add vegetables and sausage to bread cubes in bowl. Add apple and walnuts; toss to combine. If stuffing is too dry, add chicken broth and hot water as needed. Stuffing should be moist enough to hold together when lightly pressed, but not so wet that it packs tightly. Sprinkle with parsley; season with salt, pepper and sage as desired.

Stuff turkey and bake according to turkey package directions. Or bake stuffing in a casserole dish at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

Makes 16 servings

Source: Scripps Howard News Service

Green Onion and Corn Bread Stuffing

• 1 10-1/2-ounce can condensed French onion soup
• 1 soup can full of water
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1 cup celery cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 cup green onions thinly sliced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) corn bread stuffing mix
• Vegetable cooking spray

In 5-quart saucepan combine soup, water, margarine, celery, onions and poultry seasoning. Bring to boil and remove from heat. Stir in corn bread stuffing mix. Transfer mixture to a 11/2 quart casserole coated with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees 45 minutes or until set.

Serves 12.

Source: Adapted from a recipe from the National Turkey Federation

Herbed Pecan Stuffing

• 8 cups day-old multigrain bread cubes
• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 4 celery ribs, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
• 1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Toast pecans on a baking sheet in a 300-degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 225 degrees. Place bread cubes in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 30-40 minutes, tossing occasionally, until partially dried.

Combine raisins and apple juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes.

In a large skillet, saute celery, onion and garlic, if using, in oil until tender. Add parsley, salt, sage, thyme, fennel seeds and pepper. Mix well and remove from heat.

Beat egg and broth together; combine with vegetables, bread and raisin mixture. Toss well. Stir in pecans. Place in greased 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 15-20 minutes more or until lightly browned.

Serves 10 to 12.

Source: Adapted from Taste of Home's 1999 annual recipe collection.

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